Health Care

[pinkneon]

My princess was born at 35 weeks. Now, some people say this isn't considered very preemie and say it is, so I'm confused. My hospital says 35 is preemie as most 35 weekers go into SCBU. My princess almost had to but thankfully didn't in the end.
Now, i know that preemies can have more health problems than other babies. What I'm wondering though is when a preemie is being given health care, does the health care professional treat them as a baby of how old they are, or a baby at their corrected age?
I'm asking cos my princess needs to have physio for her head to help encourage her to turn her head, but if she's treated at the age she is it'll be different from if she's treated as her corrected age.
Also, she has an umbilical hernia. Now, the HV has said this is more likely cos she was prem, although babies can be born with it. She has said once babies start siitting up it can go on it's own, as sitting up can help with pulling in the muscles (or something like that anyway!). If it doesn't go she'll need surgery - but again I don't know if she will be considered at the age she will be then, or at her corrected age? (Different ages have different meds etc). Also, usually a full term baby can have calpol from 4months ... Do preemies have to wait until their corrected age is 4months or their actual age??

 

[PrincessPea]

Hey, didnt want to read and run.

My understanding is that anything prior to full term (i.e 37 weeks) is premature.

Everything is different as to whether they are treated as actual or corrected. It was explained to us that most development things (smiling, sitting etc etc) goes by corrected age. The only thing like that which we have found so far that goes by actual age is weaning.

As for healthcare I think again that each thing will be different and the health care professionals will keep you right as to whether they are going by actual or corrected.

My LO had a fairly substantial umbilical hernia which we were told they would not do anything about and would go away on its own as the tummy muscles stregthened. Lo and behold in the last few weeks it has gone right down and now it just looks like a wee 'outie' that she just has to grow into a wee bit.

With the calpol, my LO has only had it once, after her third set of immunisations, at that point she would have been almost 4 months actual, 9 days correct. I checked with my pharmacist and he told me it was fine to give her it. The differences were she was only to have half a normal dose and could only have it once in every 24 hours. Turned out one does did the trick anyway.

Hope this helps a wee bit and Im sure someone with more experience than me will be along shortly to answer. xx

 

[Fiestagal]

I consider my 34+6 baby as a prem baby. I did only refer to corrected age when it came to weighing and when watching developmental milestones. C had an umbilical hernia too which went away without any need for surgery, I think they commonly resolve on their own.

I did find someone always says 'oh that's not prem' or the other extreme 'my baby was prem too, 2 days early'!

C is nearly 18 months now and the gap between the milestones is less and I pay less attention to them now, but in the early days it was useful to consider the corrected age.

When we were in scbu there was baby in there that was born at 26 weeks, he had calpol given before his EDD (if that makes sense) as he had his injections when still in the unit but at a reduced dose.

 

[AP]

I think generally to start with, corrected and adjusted age makes a difference. But how long that is used for depends on how prem your LO is and what issues they had, if any, at birth.

For example, my LO is 19 months but both ages are still used because her development and health suffered as a result of how prem she was so it still matters, whereas 19 months down the line your LOs prematurity might not have an effect that far down the line ykwim?
ob(viously this isn't the case for every preemie and some preemies have large health issues when born which can make a difference too.

I know some people who have 35/36 weekers though who don't refer to corrected ages because they never have had a difference with development, and they went straight home at birth.

The adjusted ages are generally used to give LO some time to let them hit developmental milestones, if they don't reach them by actual age then some lieuway can be given with corrected age.

For example a 25 weeker prob won't be smiling at 3 months actual age, but more likely so at 6 months actual (3 months corrected) but a 35 weeker after a few months, the difference may not matter and everything will merge together. It honestly just depends on the LO and any issues that went along wi it

As for calpol it's best to check with a GP in case you need to give a reduced dose. But we had used calpol for jags in neonatal at 35 weeks gestation

or the other extreme 'my baby was prem too, 2 days early'

Just......grrrrr